Sudden, inexplicable updates seem to be the rule rather than the exception when it comes to blogs. So, after an absence which has lasted through the autumn, I'm back with an update.

Things have changed quite a lot around here. Two days after Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas released, I was given my own store. The situation there was a little rocky: the manager and the de facto assistant manager had been let go. Both of them were very popular with their employees, so half of those employees quit "in protest." I'm not sure what they hoped to accomplish, as the company I work for is simply inundated with applications for employment on any given day, making employee turnover the least of their worries. To add to the irony, a full two-thirds of the employees who took such a noble stand were, within two weeks, inquiring about getting their jobs back. Of course, by that time I had other things to worry about.

I know that most people in the world don't keep track of these things, but in the world of video-games, the two months between October 25, 2004 and December 25, 2004 may, at some point in the future, be looked back on as the two busiest months in history. October 25 unleashed GTA: San Andreas on the world. The next week was essentially a pause for breath, which allowed me to gather strength, hire a few people and prepare for the week which followed, bringing with it Halo 2 (a.k.a. the second biggest release in the history of video-games). The week after saw the release of over 30 games, none of which, taken singly, approached the popularity of either GTA or Halo 2 but which, when taken on as a horde, were quite the retail challenge. The week following that onslaught was Thanksgiving week, kicking off the start of the holiday season and plunging me into a month of 6- or 7-day, 9 hours a day work weeks. Add to all this the fact that the store I'd inherited was in a state of disrepair unlike any that I'd ever seen before, and I think you'll understand why I haven't updated in such a long time.

Overall, though, I seem to have come through the challenge on top; my store has consistently earned more this year than it did last, which is a pretty good measure of success in the current economy. I had one visit from both my District and Regional Managers during the holiday season. My Regional Manager shook my hand and said that, what with all the challenges I was facing, I was doing an amazing job. Never mind that any monkey with basic math skills could be trained to do my job; I actually felt very good to have some affirmation.

About my aunt: well, she died. Shortly after I landed in Milwaukee, while I was hauling my stuff from seanb's car, my mother called to let me know that Donna was gone. I apologize if this seems like an afterthought, but nothing was resolved. She simply ceased to be, and the survivors are getting along as best they can.

That seems to be what death is all about.